U.S. Carrier Strike Groups Locations Map – Oct. 16, 2015 (IMPORTANT)

Comment by the Saker: the big news here is that the USA has pulled the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) out of the Persian Gulf and that, for the first time in many years, no US aircraft carrier will be patrolling these waters. In fact, there are currently no US aircraft carriers anywhere near the Middle-East. Funny fact: Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th US President and Russia fired exactly 26 cruise missiles, after which the Theodore Roosevelt withdrew. Coincidence or the the Kremlin send a message to Uncle Sam?

The Essential Saker II: Civilizational Choices and Geopolitics / The Russian challenge to the hegemony of the AngloZionist Empire

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You are right. America has had them for long time and they were useful. Now-days they are used to intimidate and push around the countries that can not fight back. If you think about who America has attacked since WWII, they are all weak countries that could not possibly fight back. Granada, Panama, Serbia, Iraq, Afgh. Libya..and the list goes on and on. Poor Yugoslavia did not have such weapons as Russian missiles (poor Yu people thought they were supplied by Russians) and USA knew it. If they did have them, they would have sunk all of the ships in Adriatic sea. Unfortunately was not the case. But this incident of 26 CM might teach Americans lesson they need to learn. If you attack someone like Russia that can and will fight back, you’ll pay big time. One of the most positive outcome of Russian involvement is this;the time when America can unilaterally destroy country after country is over.
The balance of power must be re-established, or America will “lead’ us straight to #3. No other country in the world has to potential or inclination to do it. Scary..

Obsolete machines the carriers may be, but they nevertheless create real objective facts in, on, or near an Nth space – and these facts can be fatal, or even decisive. For example, the aircraft used by the English Royal Navy to sink the Italian fleet at Taranto were biplanes made of wood and cloth- totally obsolete. The Taranto attack, which was the model, by the way, for Pearl Harbor less than a year later, left the Mediterranean a contested sea rather than an “Italian Lake” – and that made a big change in the course of WW2. Similarly, the obsolete US battleships sunk at Pearl Harbor provided FDR with the casus belli he needed to get America into the war. This was essential, as the Red Army had, by December of ’41, stopped the Nazi Armies – and the prospect of a Red Victory eventually establishing a Communist Europe all the way to the English Channel was simply unacceptable to both FDR, Churchill, and the American and English Fascist elites who had conjured Hitler and the Nazis into existence. Thus “obsolete” is irrelevant, dear brother…

The only slight problem with your conspiracy theory about FDR’s reason for intervention, is that Hitler declared war on America on 11th December 1941, not the other way around. It was not FDR’s decision to go to war with Germany. Check your history.

paralipsis ill becomes the would-be sage, friend. deep policy and the superficial matters are only occasionally tied in visible ways. the nazi declaration of war was, probably, simply a gift… stuff does happen

one might benefit by reading deep history, the diaries, the odd bit…the radio log of the Lurline from 1941, US Ham radio listening logs, the log of the Lanikai, even the letters between FDR and Stalin…

and, thank you, I fail to see any claim in my writing about “conspiracy”.

It may be a disservice, too, for our anonymous brother to imply that a Communist Europe was acceptable to WSC, FDR, or any of the numerous “western” Fascist cardes.

“… FDR had already instructed the US Navy to attack the German Navy in September 1941 with the “Shoot on Sight” order. …”

Interesting. FDR probably itched for a fight with Germany.

Nevertheless, a question still could be asked: had Hitler not declared war on the U.S. (on 11 December 1941 – in the immediate aftermath of the Japanese Pearl Harbour attack on 7 December), would have there been a war between Germany and the U.S.? (And if yes, when?)

Historians are not unanimous on this topic. Keep in mind that Germany was not obliged to join Japan’s fight with the U.S. by the 1940 Tripartite Pact of Berlin, for it merely stipulated that the signatories were required “to assist one another with all political, economic and military means if one of the Contracting Powers is attacked by a Power at present not involved in the European War or in the Japanese-Chinese conflict” (Article 3) – and Japan was not attacked by the U.S..

In his analysis titled 70 Years Ago, December 1941: Turning Point of World War II, http://www.jacquespauwels.net/70-years-ago-december-1941-turning-point-of-world-war-ii/ , Belgian historian Jacques Pauwels interprets Hitler’s declaration of war on the U.S. as a gross miscalculation, triggered by his 6 December 1941 loss of the Battle of Moscow. According to Pauwels, Hitler thought that by this act of solidarity following the Pearl Harbour event he would induce Japan to immediately declare war on Soviet Union and come to his aid. However, Japan had absolutely no intention of fighting on two fronts at that time, and – Hitler’s move badly backfired: instead of fighting only the USSR, he now had to fight the U.S. as well.

US carrier Roosevelt is not pulling out of Persian gulf,
it is getting closer to China’s Spratley islands,
and notice that another one comes from the east.
Middle East is given up by Obama,
Israel left on its own to regulate it.
All this explains why China is not bombing ISIL, there will be job to do at their coastline…
Russia should also watch many of irs backdoors, i.e. Ukraine, Kaukazus, Baltic region.
I mean the hegemone is hoping for a big show in form of several proxy wars against Russia to make Kremlin busy and not able to help China. USA can overplay China both with conventional and nuclear weapons so far. And they have to do it soon, as in 5-10 years it will be history.
Having coped with China the Russia is served next and more digestable.
Sounds reasonable to you?

Something heavy duty, indeed. I suspect US aircraft carriers have withdrawn to protect them and get them out of harm’s way for when NATO or the US save face by unleashing some catastrophe, such as a rogue nuke. Without significant assets in the Middle East, there will be little for Russia, Iran or China to retaliate against without attacking the US on their home turf.

No doubt Pentagon has a plan like you depicted somewhere in files.
But first there will be little steps. On the way to home port (for maintenance in California) Roosevelt surely will assist crossing the national sea space of PRC in South Chinese sea.
The US hawks just count on multiple outcomes. In the worst case scenario the Roosevelt will be used as the USS in Tonking for the sake of Vietnam war.
Yes, neocons are ready to sacrifice the carrier as easy as the WTC on 9/11.

Could you please stop posting slogans? Your completely unsubstantiated statements do not contribute to an intelligent conversation.
Repeating the very same slogan over and over again borders on trolling.
Please refrain from that in the future.
Thank you,
The Saker

Hi Saker, thanks for bringing the conversation back to a ‘normal’ tone…now I see clearly again. Its probably total BS that Obama and Putin are working together, except possibly on a ‘subconscious level that is un-proveable.

he doesnt know who the guy is who heads aipac. That info speaks volumes. Plus, if israel is about to attack iran, best to move the carrier. Or are they going to allow us a winter of low gas oil prices and a last christmas shopping season, and then they attack. israel is readying, arab guys who cause issues in israel are now legally slated to be put on the other side of the wall, and the penalties for just throwing stones just became terrible, and probably regular young arab israelis dont know and will find out the hard way. And israelis are now carring weapons around towns, Netanyaho has no reason to wait very long, but I suppose he has to wait for the ok from his rulers. mohammed the poster above, is going to have rough news for a while, and only death of others will cheer him up, an unfortunate place for him to be. I am near boston mass, so I do belive I will watch world war 3 from a distance, unless someone decides to screw up the us food stamp system snap. Now that would be a hell of a blow. Best to all in the coming doom.

with all those missles flying about during a war……what do you think would be the one thing that would trigger world wide instant reaction? With muslims scattered like land mines everywhere now, and you wanted them (or to blame them) for detonations everywhere……

well, it is a question that I know the answer to, but I dont want to say because I dont know who reads here. Just to be even more clear about it, I do think that when the war starts, we will all be staring at an empty space in wonder. haha, sorry, if it comes to pass, you will know exactly.

I dont dare mess with the big boys. They have their theater and script is private and woe to spoilers, but, you can guess, and it will seem obvious afterwards. You dont need to control the asteroid belt when you can have metal missles that do the same thing ! No explosives needed.

I don’t think that I am using slogans without substantiated statements. I can debate with anyone on this blog from Ukraine to Yemen, that both Obama and Putin are working together, and I have given examples of it too.

Let us take Yemen for example. Both Obama and Putin, last year passed a Chapter VII resolution of Yemen. We don’t have Dmitry Medvedev to blame as we did on Libya.

Where is Yemen War? Why no one is even talking about it? We only see after 3 or 4 days, something about it on PressTV news.

Having said that, I love you too much. And, I know that you love me too much too. When I first came on this blog, you supported me fully just because I am a Shia. You hardly knew me. I will never forget your support.

It reminds me of sister Nora. She used to say when a glass is half full, “some people might say it is half full or others might say it is half empty, based on their experiences in life. But you Mohamed see it completely full, which is not reality”. I guess what I see it has to do with my experiences in life too.

When I first time went to USA in 1972, there used to be sirens on TV of Russian Nuclear Attacks. And, people out of Fear will go down in their bunkers. Truly, shocked me!

To me Fear is the bidding of The Evil (The Tribe), as I believe that God is The Best of Planner. And, yes we all get affected by daily oppression. In The Holy Quran, God tells Adam, don’t go near the tree least you become one of the oppressor. The tree didn’t have any significant, it was God’s Command.

The recurring message and central theme in The Holy Quran is that “Man is a oppressor”.

Being a guest in Your House (Blog), I have to respect Your House and Comply With Your Wishes. If I have hurt anyone feelings, I truly apologize and ask for forgiveness.

The Palistinians have the ultimate weapon “against” Israel. Anwar Sadat used it and it was very effective. Throw out the radicals and make peace with Israel and before you know it, Palestinians will be working in Israel, bringing back money and know-how to Gaza and the West Bank as used to be the case in the 70’s and 80’s. The Palestinian territories will begin to prosper and a lack of an enemy will calm Israel right down. You have no idea how much the people of Israel want peace. Look what they gave up to get peace with Egypt. Then demographics will take over. Note that the Arabs have representatives in the Kenesit (Israeli parliament) exactly in proportion to their population. Most Arab countries in the Middle East don’t even have this. Your best and most effective weapon is peace; your enemy, those that constantly want war.

Your “solution” depends on the Israeli State dropping their policy of territorial expansion. Because it can’t (won’t) there shall always be radicals. People gets radicalized when you steal their property and their friends’ lives – particularly when it is for material reasons. The solution is on the inside of Israel – not the outside. Just my opinion.

What Israel “gave up” for peace with Egypt was land they stole from Egypt to begin with.That is like if I mug you,take your wallet.Use some of the money in it.Then offer to give the wallet back to you ,so we can “be friends”. The Israelis treated/treat the Palestinian workers like serfs.So while that is better than starving (I guess),not much better.The demographic time-bomb is a problem for Israel.But it should be a sign that Israel needs to be the one to seek peace.But it isn’t.Their answer is to try to up the Jewish birthrate,lower the Palestinian birthrate,kill as many Palestinian young as they can without the World stopping them.And bring as many Jews as are stupid enough to move to Israel to come as they can.But since Jews are only around 15 million in total in the World.With over 40% of then in the US,that presents Israel with a big problem.When offered the choice ,Jews (the majority of them),choose to move to Europe or North America,instead of Israel.Even Israelis are doing that.Over 500,000 Israelis have left Israel.While hundreds of thousands (at least) have foreign passports,”just in case”. As to the Knesset.Yes,there are Arab parties in it.Parties vetted by the Israelis for loyalty.In other words stooges.And even that is not enough.The main Israeli parties (ones with a chance to win elections) have a agreement not to cooperate or join coalitions with the Arab parties.So they are in the Knesset to “look pretty” for the “West”.The Israelis know all that,the Palestinians know all that.The only ones in the dark are the “Western” public,who still buys the Israeli and US BS about Israel being a democracy (though “finally” some people in the West are waking up to the truth.Not nearly enough yet).

To quote the Jewish author Noam Chomsky, ” Israel does not seek peace – just expansion “! If you care to see what that expansion looks like in the future plan, go to U-tube and search ” the greater Israel project “.

UNESCO is about to admit Kosovo, as created by Balkan ISIL UCK (KLA), as its new member. Serbian goverment appears to be helpless in this regard. Here are some vital CV parts of this UNESCO candidate:http://www.kosovo.net/ckos/page_01.htm (list of destroyed churches with notes under whose international ‘protection’ they were at the time)

We see Saudi Arabia put on the UN Human Rights Commission,Ukraine put on the UNSC,now Kosovo admitted to UNESCO.And the US able to bribe and threaten UN member states to work their will on the World stage.There are some serious,and I would argument, possibly fatal problems within the UN structure as it stands today.Unless Russia and China are willing, and or able, to battle for changes within the UN and win. It very well may need to cease to exist in the foreseeable future.And another World body take its place.Or even “no” World body take its place,but it just be done away with.Regional bodies created instead, having influence in different corners of the World instead of one single body.

Uncle Bob 1 I agree that the UN is a basket case, lead in recent times by men of little backbone or intrgrity & there’s not much on the horizon to inspire confidence in it getting any better any time soon. That said I don’t know how we’ll be able to form anything new, save the BRICS, along with a substantial number of other countries – and I mean SUBSTANTIAL – breaking away & forming something new. Any attempt to do so will immediately be labelled by the US, it’s 5 Eyes “partners” & whoever else they can manage to blackmail / strong arm / bribe, as the purveyors of doom . . . . TEOTWAWKI. On the other hand, the withdrawal of Russia & China, with the consequent loss of the vaunted UNSC veto, will be quietly cheered at Downing St & Pennsylvania Ave, giving carte blanche to anything the hegemon would want to do in the way of rape, loot & pillage, safe in the knowledge that the system of checks & balances, however flawed, inherent in the UN system would no longer be a hindrance. That world fills me with real fear, and I live within 5 Eyesland !!

Without the Third World countries,and Russia and her allies,and China and her allies,(maybe India as well) there is no UNSC resolutions able to mean anything.The West will be left with just what they have today.A “World community” of 20% (or less) of the World.That is the threat (and meaning it) needed to reform that organization.It needs a lot of reform if its to be more than a “debating society”.And a “must” to start is to move it out of NYC.To a neutral country,not able to be unduly controlled by the US (or anyone).Where that would be,I’m not sure.My thinking is if in Europe, Finland.But I don’t think other non-European countries would like it in Europe.So I lean towards Brazil as a good spot (or India,or South Africa).

I do not believe Putin and Obama are in cahoots, even though I would wish they were. Any more than that Obama is ‘in cahoots’ with the American public. Were he in cahoots with the former, he would need to be in cahoots with the latter, and he is not.

I can add another factor. TR was the first U.S. prez to really assert Amercan international hegemony openly. His cruise of the “white fleet”, a power projection exercise in the early 20th century, is generally considered the American announcement that they were intending to displace the European colonial powers and take over. T. Roosevelt’s regime is generally thought of as the American president who established the American empire.

Here is a list of ambasadors to UNESCO with adresses, if some of you would like to write them on the matter, or to ambasador of your country among them. It was compiled by a student initiative urging students and others to send cordial letters with pictures of destruction and desecration they find and are able to exectly define by name, location and date:https://studentizaistinu.wordpress.com/2015/10/15/spisak-i-kontakti-delegacija-uneska/

(a click on the name of a country will bring you to an english official page of the country at UNESCO)

I am guessing nobody is really of belief that UNESCO people lack literature on the state of affairs in Kosovo or that they could be unpurposely oblivious to the wretchedness of it. The action, I would think, hopes at least to make them sick of the vote they are about to cast.
Regards and sorry for the off topic.

I find it very hard to imagine what one CVN (let alone two) could possibly accomplish in the South China Sea. It can obviously sail through waters claimed by China, or it can launch aircraft to do… what? If it encroaches on Chinese waters, I suppose the Chinese will limit their response to diplomatic protests. Although one wonders if sailors below decks might hear a loud Clang as a dummy torpedo strikes the hull? (The naval equivalent of radar lock-on).

I am shocked at this news, clearly predicted on this forum the day it departed so suddenly.

They’re out to spoil Xi’s big 66th bash–that’s right, Monday Oct 19 is not just 1987 crash +28, it’s
66 years to the day from the exact day 1949 Mao proclaimed the Communist China paradise open.

Bonus is that they get to play party-pooper not once but twice in a week right in China’s backyard, because remember Oct 24 is the double anniversary of the 2 Treaties of Shame (1844, 1860) foisted on them by the great powers of that time.

And nobody has even been paying this any mind. Well, except Xi maybe.
and the USN.
and McCain.
And Hillarity.

The Theodore Roosevelt has been scheduled for months to return to the US for much needed maintenance. I’m sure both China and Russia knew that. In fact i’m pretty sure Russia’s action in Syria caused a delay in the Roosevelt leaving. I also pretty sure Russia timed its actions according to the fact that is was known the US would not have a carrier in the middle east for several months. Russia knew this would put the US in a tough spot by either causing the carrier to stay and push off maintenance even longer or leave and have the optics look like the US is running away from Russia. While carriers are not as useful as they have been. I think everyone calling them useless is wrong. Carriers don’t travel alone they always have several guided missile destroyers and other support vessels with them. These vessels provide the defense against missile attacks. The only country with a weapon that can defeat those defenses in theory is China. Maybe Irans swarm tactic could work but that’s only theory.

Like the WW2 battleships, carriers and escorts are targets, and targets are useful. That said, of course they can defend themselves – but to say only China has the capacity to destroy an American carrier – this is simply untrue. Any number of gadgets and tactics exist by which an Nth carrier-group may come to an untimely pass.

Lets us hope that the carriers “usefulness” as targets remains entirely theoretical and that they cruise in peace until rust overcomes their hulls.

I do not see people here saying that the carriers are useless, and it’s obviously hyperbole to claim that. obsolete and useless do not have the same meaning.

I believe that if you zoom in and read the text below the map, there is still a CV in the ‘north Arabian sea’ that is not graphically shown on the map. This of course is within airstrike range of much of the middle east. IIRC, a CV in this area participated in the bombing of Iraq at the start of that war.

The role of aircraft carriers has apparently changed dramatically since WWII. Whereas these were once instrumental in the decisive battles between the big powers (e.g., US vs.Japan), for a number of years already they have been a tool of the US to threaten small & weak countries around the globe, to bend them to Washington’s will. One cannot imagine the American aircraft carriers being anything other than expensive sitting ducks in any conceivable conflict with Russia or China (or Iran, for that matter).

Exactly. Their obvious role would be to provide a casus belli, along the lines of Pearl Harbor. It’s interesting to note the each CVN has a crew of up to 5,000 – so the sinking of even one CVN would kill approximately twice as many Americans as died at Pearl Harbor.

Imagine if China killed 10 of them in some kind of blitz, that would be 50,000 people. More than enough for USA to engage in WW3 for years, or to claim justification for initiating MAD.

As you say, even one carrier is not only more than pearl harbor but also more than 9/11. 9/11 was the perfect excuse for WoT, and if we somehow tricked China into destroying one the way Roosevelt tricked the Japanese Empire into attacking Pearl, it would be just as large a propaganda coup as pearl or 9/11.

Hell, USA could even blow one up as a false flag if it wanted. It blew up one of its own ships before to start the Spanish American war…

There’s more behind the scene than we are told obviously, but I firmly believe there is cooperation.
The public only gets “spin” and public relations propaganda. I believe the curriers are active and VP and BO are on the same page.

Yep. One thing is for sure, the money changers are loving the plan Barack and Vlad worked out together. Wall Street + roughly 12% since Russia began its intervention in Syria.
+12% in two weeks. Not bad. The 0.1% club is loving it.
Meanwhile the plebes are buying into this WWE Vlad/Barack death match.
;-)

I wasn’t going to comment on this little two-step you and Mohammed are twitching too. Somehow, to read such unbelievably puerile stupidity, based on a complete lack of any insight, knowledge, investigation and understanding of the personalities of Putin and Obama, plus a lack of any insight into the pragmatism essential to any international politics, especially in times of extreme tension, is so wearying that one knows no answer is worth the bother. You should go join the University types over at Corbett Report doing the “I’m too smart to be taken in by this” routine.

But one thing only persuades me. Whether such no-brain individuals as you two are able to understand this is definitely open to debate. After all, you have no trouble taking two individuals whom a few hours of research would show are diametrically, 180 deg. opposite in every single point of personality, intelligence, moral and ethical standing, integrity and spirituality, and then say they are “in cahoots and on the same page” in tones which imply strongly that they are united to defraud the peoples of the world, and then think you can make sense of what I am about to say is a stretch, to put it mildly.

But – the layabout Obama, who achieved not a single thing at any time in his life, managed to attend the Chicago Senate to cast two votes. One was to vote AGAINST the requirement that any baby unlucky enough to survive the barbaric horrific full term “abortions” – actually infanticide – which he pushed for during his presidential campaign, should be given humanitarian and medical care. Yes, that’s right, he voted that they should be left abandoned on a cold outhouse room slab and left to die.
And you would say that this effigy of a human is someone the religious man of total integrity, Vladimir Putin, would do a “dollar a giggle two step” with???

Oh – and how about you check out this and tell me how much “on the same page” they look to you.

Well said, I don’t see them working together, unless both Russia and the US are bombing IS like.. I think saker himself posted a reply to this a while ago. If anything, the suffering that Russians have to endure due to obamas actions should easily show they are not in cahoots. Putin seems like a man who had limits and morals seem to be a big part of his character. Which is surprising since I don’t know of many people who have power to show much of any ethics or morals not because they cant get to such positions with them, but once getting there to keep those morals. And this is just basic human nature.. Even Assad seems to have more morals and ethics compared to Obama. The Australian news team that interviewed him said they thought he was very distraught about Syrian children growing up in this environment. In fact we can see the actions that support it, the SAA has standing orders to take alive any Syrian fighters. While they usually just kill the foreigners which is an unwritten rule. But the SAA willing to lose lives to save Syrians who are fighting against you shows far more in what their moral compes they follow where droning 12 year old kids is a past time of the other. so when some guy gets on the world stage and talks about barrel bombs while dropping bombs on hospitals and wedding parties.. Actions speak a lot louder than words..

Syria might not have any WMD’s.. But they have not used any of the over 10000 missiles in storage.. They could just withdraw and flatter the cities under terrorist control like what the US would do like they did in Fallujah. Shooting up medical personal and blowing up ambulances and hospitals.

I’ll take logic and thousands of years of recorded history showing that money and power trump everything over a YouTube video any day.

Anyway, to the arguments above, I would add that it was interesting to see that the headquarters of the Russian and U.S. delegations at the UN in September were right next door to each other.

There is obviously more than meets the eye.

Personally, I will not fall into the wishful thinking trap. Like the wishful thinking that China was going to put an end to the dollar hegemony soon for instance…. something alternative news websites have been pushing for years… the same China that begged the FED not to raise rates earlier this week.

some of the funniest pictures of what they left behind.. I wonder if these were just western special forces or real live head choppers.. Russia gave them time to leave knowing they were there. Why els announce they were going to attack?

US Rejects Hospital Bombing Investigation, Instead Smashes into Hospital in Tank, Destroying Evidence
Posted on October 15, 2015 by Robert Barsocchini

After changing its story many times, the US now admits that it intentionally threw bombs, for more than an hour, at the now famous Doctors Without Borders hospital, proving accurate the assessment of DWB staffer Meinie Nicolai, who said the US attack was “a premeditated massacre.”

Since initial US claims that the protected DWB hospital was a “Taliban stronghold” and so forth have been debunked as stupid, the US now claims it targeted the hospital because one man, a “Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence spy”, was inside.

Don’t forget that Russia in particular has the American family jewels of secrets. Snowden’s files plus easily hacked information from OPM, Joint chiefs staff, secret service, and more or less everything is in the hands of Russia and China. The Russia and Chinese plundering of American information was met with no response at all. This means that all of America’s adversaries can expect little to no response except maybe some symbolic hand wringing and foot stomping. The US has no deterance, and their “madman doctrine” is absolute bluff.

You may see bluster and symbolic boy scout pillow fight parades on American television, but the Americans will do exactly what Russia wants. With the detailed information Russia has on USA, it won’t take much to get the Americans to stand down. American military is finished, and is more or less at the complete disposal of Russia and China. All that is left for the American military and America in general is a complete thrust into a modern day Hitler’s bunker: demolished economy, false narratives and mass suicides.

Citing diplomatic sources in New York, Israeli journalist Shlomo Shamir suggests that if Baghdad decided to ask Russia for military assistance against ISIL and Moscow agreed, Russian-American relations would sink to levels unseen since the Cold War.

In his piece, appearing this week in Israeli newspaper Maariv, Shamir cited “international diplomatic sources” who suggested that Russia “is planning to expand its military involvement in the region and to begin bombing targets on Iraqi territory.”

I think there is a pro-nationalist Kurd ‘push’ being attempted by the DoD. Or at least the DoDdies working for the oil companies. ..

One problem is the YPG (Syrian Kurd Militia). Are they sufficiently anti-Assad? They seem to be willing to go with Russian operations.

Maybe that’s why that well-known DoD front Amnesty International accused them of atrocities?
(Since met with stout repudiation by the alleged ‘victims’ who, through a local Arab organization, blamed ISIL. Even more annoyingly for the DoDs, they also stressed Syrian multi-ethnic and religious unity. How Assadish of them.:)

The Iraqi Kurdistan is pretty volatile too. Goran, started with CIA seed money in opposition to Barzani (because too close to Turkey?) has been quashed despite initial success.

Lots of protests over not being paid by teachers and civil servants. Rift with Bagdhad over this. Oil companies unhappy with the uncertainties..

Bunch of Republicans in Erbil on Wednesday, including Mitch McConnell, for a tax-funded Kurdistan love-fest. (And a warning to Barzani to ‘expand or go’ – And don’t get too pally with Erdo.,)

PKK Turkey Kurds are officially ‘terrorists’ for DoD (though not for Russia or China.) Not surprising – they’re Marxists. Bound to nationalize all natural resources and assets if they get control over a national, region-wide Kurdistan.

Eimar, I think the Syrian Kurds get along fine w the Syrian govt. It was supplying them arms and soldiers’ salaries, and tried to support them both on the ground and in the air. However the de facto no-fly that Turkey had, due to the Patriots was limiting. Syrian Kurds haven’t asked for independence, altho they’d like more control over resources (oil).

US gave them air support, but not if they strayed into the 65-mile stretch along the border that Turkey uses to supply ISIS. They have nevertheless tired on several occasions to take that area. That’s why I think that it’s significant that Obama announced in the Oct 2 NSC meeting that he would approve supplies being dropped to them. CIA had talked about their taking Raqqa, but it was clear that would not be their choice, since Raqqa is not their region. Since receiving the US air-dropped arms they have announced, in fact that they will again attempt to take the rest of the land on the West side of the Euphrates.

It is still my hypothesis that there is a limited cooperation between Russia and a faction of the US govt which wants to draw back from the neocons’ craziness that includes so much chaos & out-of-control ISIS. I think an agreement was reached at the sidelines of the Iran nuke deal. Obama surrounds himself w neocons & gives all the neocon lying speeches– but when it counts he seems to take actions that contradict this course.

This resupply of the Kurds is one example; his refusal of a no-fly despite everyone incl his own Secy State supporting it is another. He appears to be supported in this by an anglophile-Rockefeller group. The two factions are only in conflict over strategy of course, not over the desired end of a global oligarchy.

When you consider it you can see that if a faction which includes Obama wanted the more prudent course of getting rid of the terrorists & keeping Assad, they would HAVE to use a non-US military. There is simply no way that Obama could’ve exercised enough control over the US military to have accomplished that; neocon faction is still dominant in the military & CIA.

I gave more reasons in a long comment in which I summarized Thierry Meyssan’s views & can’t repeat it here. I’ll just note that influential British sources have been pushing the more prudent course at least since April : April, 2015 Financial Times:.

“If Mr Obama wants to defeat Isis without allowing the US army to be sucked into another destructive war, local strongmen must do the job for him. In some places, such as Iraq, that means relying on Iran-sponsored local Shia militias, and the Kurdish peshmerga. In others, such as Syria, it means Bashar al-Assad.”

Current edition of CFR’s Foreign Affairs (Rockefeller group) tries to cast Obama’s actions as just typical Dem President. (As if nothing has changed.)

Syrian Army Launches Aleppo Major Offensive Friday
October 16, 2015 – 17:19
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Syrian army has launched a massive operation against the strongholds of Takfiri terrorists in the northern Aleppo province following heavy air raids by Russian and Syrian air forces, a report said.

According to a report by the official SANA News Agency, the Syrian troops started a major operation in Aleppo early on Friday in an attempt to uproot the terrorists’ gathering centers and liberate the flashpoint area from the grip of the Takfirirs.

The report said that the troops have so far made huge gains in their fight, adding that now the towns of Ebtin and Hadadin al-Gharbiyeh and al-Kassarat and al-Madajen areas in the olive farms are under the full control of the Syrian soldiers.

Most other sites are saying it was a drone not an aircraft
Real incident, or PR press release only to make grand mufti wannabe Erdogan look good before election Nov1?

Turkey: Unidentified Aircraft Shot Down near Syria Border
October 16, 2015 – 16:20
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Turkey said on Friday that it has shot down an aircraft of unidentified nationality in its airspace near the Syrian border after it issued three warnings, a report said.
printPrint

“The aircraft, whose nationality could not be established, was downed by patrolling Turkish jets in accordance with engagement rules after it failed to heed three warnings,” the Turkish General Staff said in a statement issued on its website, Anadolu agency reported.http://www.tasnimnews.com/english/Home/Single/890277

A drone which is Russians not missing in Syria campaign.
It could be a false flag by Turkey/USA.
A lot of these drones were downed in Ukraine. This could be one of them.
And it does not look as shot down by the F-16 or AA gun.
Let us consider it for Erdogans election propaganda set up.

The carriers are possibly heading to points that are out of known reach of mainland based missiles, but from where they can blockade SCS and Malacca Strait. the northern part of china can be blockaded from Japan and its island chain.
I think when the carriers are in position, US will sail its smaller warships into the 12 mile limits on the Chinese islands to try and kick off an incident.
In comments in MSM public opinion is high against China over the Spratly Islands. The sheep following MSM, although they are generally against and have seen through the US in Syria, still think that China has empire ambitions.
If the US kick off an incident in SCS, the sheep will follow the US and believe every word of MSM, so a very dangerous situation.

Perhaps a few “paid for” comments but the majority are real. Average Australian group think is that we need the US to protect us from the Asian hordes.
A lot of distrust of China in Australia. Group think – lynch mob type stuff that is not based on realities.

The carriers are moving for war games with india, japan, Australia and some others. They do it every year. But it does look like Russia fired a few missiles and the US runs away scared.. Remember the task group has other ships able to take down those missiles, which is why Russia has hypersonic and super sonic missiles able to take out carriers which work in tandem. The bramos is a variation of this but Russia itself has one which works upto 500km instead of the 150km of brahmos. Ballistic missiles of 500km and above are banned on land. So Russia has short stroked theirs but I bet they can cover 750km in a pinch. Russia also is not willing part with that tech unlike the bramos version which also does not have the tandem variations. But they can take out anything outside of a US task force. Which is enough for most countries for like 10 mil bucks. If Iran can get like 100 of em no US task force would enter the Persian gulf.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesman Brigadier General Sharaf Qaleb Luqman disclosed that a large depot of weapons sent by Israel for Saudi Arabia has been destroyed in the Friday Scud missile attacks on Khamis Mushait air base.

“The large stockpile of the weapons sent by the Zionist regime to Saudi Arabia was destroyed during the Yemeni army’s missile attack on Khamis Mushait air base,” the Arabic-language al-Alam TV quoted General Luqman as saying on Friday.

He reiterated that Saudi Arabia has also sustained heavy losses in the Yemeni missile attacks on Al-Wadi’a and Toufel military bases.

Earlier today, the Yemeni army and popular forces hit a strategic military air base in Asir province in Southern Saudi Arabia with Scud missiles, killing tens of high-ranking Saudi officers and commanders and destroying over two dozen F-15 fighter jets and Apache helicopters.

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940724000750
OCT 16
TEHRAN (FNA)- Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces General Andrei Kartapolov said on Friday that Russia has deployed in Syria practically the entire complex of its reconnaissance devices and equipment, except for battlefield reconnaissance.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Russian warplanes in Syria have destroyed a total of 456 ISIL targets since the operation began on September 30, the Russian General Staff said Friday.

Over the past week, the Russian fighter jets carried out 394 sorties, destroying 46 command and communication posts, 6 explosives manufacturing facilities, 22 warehouses and fuel depots, along with 272 militant positions, strongpoints and field camps, General Andrei Kartapolov, the head of the Main Operations Directorate of the Russian General Staff told Sputnik during a briefing.

Exclusive: With Official Washington’s armchair warriors demanding confrontation with Russia over Syria, the prospects for the conflict spinning out of control rise by the day. Years from now, historians may shake their heads over the failure to compromise, cooperate and deescalate, as Daniel Lazare describes.

By Daniel Lazare

Reports that U.S. and Russian warplanes came within 10 to 20 miles of one another – just a few seconds at supersonic speeds – illustrates how dangerous the military situation in Syria has become. So are calls by Al Nusra, Al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, for jihadis in the Caucasus to kill Russians in retribution for every Syrian death.

As the conflict continues to escalate, the danger of the fire spreading more broadly rises as well. In a few years, historians looking back on “The Guns of October 2015” might see it as something like this:

”there is only one goal for Washington, Riyadh and tel-aviv … survival.
their survival depends on the petro-dollar remaining the “global reserve currency.”
the only way for that to happen is for Siberian republics to break apart from European Russia, and accept i.m.f. “development aid loans” with terms for privatization of services, and state assets. terms allowing Siberian wealth to be exploited by shell, bp, and exxon, etc., etc.. with multinational corporations receiving the contracts for infrastructure “development.” the same for China, and Iran. this is how the powers that rule Washington remain the powers that rule Washington.
if the powers that rule Washington survive, Riyadh, and tel-aviv survive … one could say that they are one and the same.
the Russian Federation is not going to break apart, China is not going to give up, Iran is not going to give up without a fight. either the powers that rule Washington accept bankruptcy, or they burn us all in a nuclear bon-fire.
there is only one way to avert a nuclear conflict … for U.S. Citizens to accept poverty.”

It´s not really a surprise and thus not really big news. Sure, it´s important, but the US Navy said months ago that this will eventually happen because the carrier needed maintance and because of budget cuts. So it was just a matter of time, still it´s probably related to the Russian intervention that they choose the time right now.

I tell you what,how about they each bring the head of an ISIS fighter.And that can prove they are fighting ISIS. And then they get a weapon.Its not that they aren’t familiar with the “beheading” process,so that shouldn’t be a problem.There, I just solved the issue of how to recognize the “moderate” terrorists…er…I mean “moderate rebels” from ISIS terrorists.Maybe they need more similar advise,I’m always open for a side-job.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russian Federation: the coalition led by the U.S. bombed an electrical power station in Syria

The city of Aleppo remained without electricity as a result of coalition strikes, which destroyed a thermal power station and a transformer substation. According to the representative of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russian Federation, the infrastructure of human settlements can be destroyed deliberately, in order to increase the flow of refugees to Europe.

“… MOSCOW, 16 October — RIA Novosti. The strikes of the coalition led by the U.S. has destroyed a Syrian power station and a transformer substation, leaving the country’s largest city Aleppo without electricity, said Friday the head of the main operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russian Federation Colonel-General Andrey Kartapolov.

According to him, “impression is forming that someone is deliberately destroying the infrastructure of human settlements”, thus only increasing the flow of refugees to Europe.

“It is not our policy to advise our colleagues which objects to hit. However, on 11 October, in the district of the settlement of Tel-Alam, the air strikes of the coalition destroyed the thermal power station and the transformer substation”, — the General said at a briefing for foreign military attachés and journalists.

As a result, according to him, the hospitals, the schools and all the residents of the city of Aleppo remained without electricity, the water supply and the sewage system stopped working, which amid a 30 degree Celsius heat would have serious consequences.

“I believe, our partners hardly did not know that CHP was working only eight hours a day. Nevertheless, the strikes were being repeated over several days, and on 11 October the thermal power station was completely put out of order”, – said the head of the Directorate.

“Impression is forming that someone is deliberately destroying the infrastructure of human settlements, making the life of the peaceful population there impossible. And because of this, civilians, deprived of the conditions for existence, are leaving the settlements and are increasing the flow of refugees to Europe”, — said Kartapolov.

He also said that on the Syrian-Jordanian border were discovered the ruins of the outbuildings, destroyed as the result of the bombing.

As regards the Russian combat aviation, according to the General, its strikes are extremely accurate.

“Over those two weeks we have provided a sufficient amount of video data to substantiate the accuracy of strikes. Our jets are used against objects located away from the settlements” — said Kartapolov.

He also showed to the military attachés and representatives of the media the map of a bomber crew, which includes all the objects vital for the civilian population — mosques, cultural heritage objects, energy and water distribution and other. …”

This was once again within 24 hours reported on Jim Stone’s site, & I read it there & couldn’t believe something this big could be blacked right out of all the news, especially the supposed honest rooskie news sites (which category places like RT are excluded de facto, since they are a time-wasting staged puppet fight studio.)
Anyone ever heard of them breaking one just one piece of real exclusive bulletin news ?

Those waiting for Nutty to pull something may have already waited too long.

@ eimar
Indeed, the General could have been more specific. Perhaps he was holding back the details for “diplomatic” reasons (perhaps Russia still has in mind some future collaboration with the US, etc.)?

As for “someone” wishing an exodus of the entire indigenous population from that general area… After ethnically cleansing the entire Palestine, is someone now eyeing its “Lebensraum” “from Nile to Euphrates”?…

“… The Yinon Plan was a continuation of Britain’s colonial design in the Middle East
…
“Greater Israel” requires the breaking up of the existing Arab states into small states.
…
Viewed in this context, the war on Syria and Iraq is part of the process of Israeli territorial expansion.
…”

Which inevitably leads one to contemplate these events in a broad historical perspective [ http://www.voltairenet.org/article184973.html ], tracing the grand AngloZionist project from the times of Oliver Cromwell’s Puritans, then their Anglo heirs in the New World, to the contemporary AngloZionist Empire.

I know that is their “plan”.But I don’t see where they think those Jews are coming from.There aren’t that many Jews (not by a long shot) that want to move to Israel.The reason most of the Russian Jews that moved to Israel did so was because the US wouldn’t accept them.Had they done so they would have never moved to Israel.The zionist’s call for Jewish immigrants is only working on the radical right-wing Jews.I doubt no matter what inducement (or fear tactic) the Israelis come up with they could get even 1/3rd that number.Probably not even 20% of that number to come.And that smaller number only over years,not all at once.The US has basically the same number of Jews as Israel.Between the two that is around 13 million of the 15 million Worldwide Jewish population.With most of the rest middle-class (or better) citizens in Europe or Latin America.The numbers just aren’t there for the Israelis to fulfill their hideous schemes.

The U.S., Indian and Japanese navies are in the middle of the Malabar 2015 exercise, this year in Chennai, India, on the Bay of Bengal.

The annual exercise between India and the United States has on several occasions included the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force and has previously involved other countries such as Australia and Singapore.

If memory serves, Theodore Roosevelt mediated and settled the conflict between Russia and Japan, winning the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. Thus, the allusions to TR may be seen as a reminder, rather than a warning.

Most likely explanation is that a False Flag has been planned and they are moving a very expensive and very large target out of the way. The sinking of a carrier would be a huge blow to US prestige as well as a very blatant display of their vulnerability hence an exposure of the US’s relative impotence.

I suspect the timing of this unveiling now is Iran’s response of a show of a promise of dire retaliation because they know through channels of something big coming.
They also unveiled that new killer torpedo just 2 days ago.

Gulf of Tonkin level (June 1964 Johnson/Macnamara) at least.

BTW, doubly bad news is that in addition to Oct 19 significance posted earlier today, OCT 19= 1019 IS prime, & they always hit on prime # days, like 911, 311 Spain 2004 Madrid Gladio train bombings went so good for them they used it again 311 2011 Fukushima.
1011= OCT 11 a week ago note no hit since it’s not prime.

77= London july 7 bus bombings an exception (not prime), but they love 7 almost as much as 6.

No where near the middle east ? Strange indeed. Pulling it out of the Persian Gulf and into the opean sea would be a wise tactic if serious conflict was contemplated – like our carriers leaving Pearl the night before 12-7-41.

Dov Sakheim just wrote that Israel and Russia have good relations. Maybe they cut a deal for Russian protection and our subservient American leaders are going to leave as instructed by their Zionist lords.

Not to get too delighted by this move. America is carrying many wounds and like a wounded animal could very well strike out. She still has a military equal in size to the next largest 13 or so and most of them are friends. There have always being generals who believe that America could win an atomic war (as if there would be any winners even if no other country retaliated. Think of McArthur during the Korean war or the generals during the Cuban Crisis. There are apparently quite a few today that think likewise.

Weak Obama foreign policy, yet another violation of our rights. The gov’t constantly violates our rights.
They violate the 1st Amendment by banning books like “America Deceived III”.
They violate the 2nd Amendment by banning guns.
Both parties are lawless.
Last link of “America Deceived III” before it is completely banned:http://www.amazon.com/America-Deceived-III-E-Blayre/dp/1517571243/
TRUMP 2016

It looks to me that in a strategic sense Russia is still the Soviet Union, only perhaps more so. And billionaires get locked up, while the banks and oil are nationalized. Maybe Russia of Empire and Soviet times was carrying a lot of dead weight.

I haven’t checked T Meyassan for a while but will do so soonest. He is especially good on this aspect.

It looks to me as if the Allen-Juppe plan is still in play. But with the Russians clearly backing Assad, there is no guarantee it will ever pan out.

I am also far from convinced there is a Kurdish unity – at least not for a viable nation-state. I wonder though if the A-J planners think they can still swing it? The Syrian Kurds could throw a real spanner in the works ..my impression is that they identify as Syrian Kurds, just as there are Syrian Alawites, or Syrian Druze. Do the A-Z’
ers believe they can control them? Then they will continue to get US support..

Of course, the overall Oded Yinon Israeli plan to depopulate the region (destroying Syrian national identity) continues with the US attacks on Aleppo’s infrastructure..but how long after Kunduz can they keep getting away with it?
And what makes them believe the Syrian displaced will stay away if peace returns under Assad? I am not seeing this being realised, particularly as the awareness of conspiracy against Assad and the Syrian people grows daily in Europe and around the globe…

The Kurdish issue is very complicated.Scholars aren’t even sure there is a full “Kurdish” nationality.There are several dialects of Kurdish (at least one even thought of as possibly a separate language).Many scholars believe they were different peoples that took the Kurdish name.Centuries ago Kurd was a name used to mean nomadic peoples of those regions in general.Something similar to how the word “Gypsies” was a catch all term.And covered several groups,not all actually descended from Roma peoples.Only from the late 19th and early 20th centuries did they really start to think of themselves as a united people.Once they started to settle on lands, stop the “wandering”,and intermarry and assimilate neighboring groups.That led to them being know as a “nation”.And with the weakening of the empires of the region (and the meddling of European powers) there was a nationalist movement that grew up among them.There languages (mostly) have an “Iranic” base.Which would relate them to Armenian and Iranian (Persian).Some people think of them as related to the ancient Medes of history.But I strongly doubt that.I think some Armenians or other West “Iranians” have a much better claim to that.Others think they are related to Armenians that converted to Islam,as well as a mix of those and neighboring other peoples.I think that “might” be a closer fit,but no real deep unbiased studies have been made on them.Many of those doing studies,have a pre-determined idea as to what they want to find.And so can’t be fully trusted.

Kurds don’t really need US support. They always got arms & salaries from Assad– only air cover from US & US specifically refused them cover for the 65miles imm’y to the West of the Euphrates, cuz that’s where Turkey sent in the supplies to the jihadis. And THAT’s where they are going next. They aren’t united w Turkey’s Kurd, but remember how much Turkey’s Kurds wanted to help them when Kobane was under siege.

Thierry was on World Crisis Radio today (@28). He said Russians using that jamming radar for 3 weeks already– just 300km around Latakia, but that’s far enough to reach the Turkish border & Incirlik airfield. My memory is that w the Donald Cook incident that it jammed all equipment. In the current situation it’s only “communication systems including the satellite.” [Does he really mean communication, or only imaging?] He reminds us that WaPo 9/29 had story that quoted Gen Breedlov commenting that this was the third A2AD bubble he’d seen– other two being Crimea & Kaliningrad. I forget what A2AD means. AD = Area Deinial Anyway Thierry specifically said they are Blind..

I think I see a glimmer of hope upon the horizon, a hope that peace will come soon to the Middle East and that the United States is about to wake up from the neocon nightmare that it was plunged into all those years ago by the false flash of 9/11.

With Syria about to be stabilised (hopefully) by the belated actions of Russia perhaps relations between Iran and the United States will improve and the neocon’s plans for more war may finally have been thwarted. It’s about time, after all, that the USA began to respect international law and not act unilaterally. If America had just taken the time to engage with other country’s in the international system after 9/11 instead of acting unilaterally Russia would not be acting as it is doing now, forcefully asserting in the same unilateral way its interests in the international arena and putting the USA on notice. The USA forced Russia’s hand, it has no one to blame but itself.

The priority of the USA now should be to rebuild its relationship with Russia and begin joint cooperation in areas of foreign policy in areas like combating terrorism where there is, surely, a common interest to do so.

The strength of the US military has for the longest time been their carriers and attack planes. This is now their biggest weakness. Russia has developed the supersonic Sunburn and Onyx anti ship missiles capable of nukes specifically to target these obsolete behemoths. Agis can’t defend against them either, so they and their escort destroyers are literally sitting ducks. Look it up SN-22 and SN-27. The US doesn’t hold a candle to what the Russians have developed.

I agree with the other anonymous writer, and the aircraft launch ability is now such that our LHA ships are being retrofitted to receive and launch the F35 which is a game changer since we have not just 12 or so of them but more like 40 active with hulls mothballed ready for rebuild and deployment…this puts the while supply chain up close and personal in far larger numbers and oh BTW the kill power of that plane versus the tomcat or hornet is a whole other level. Although they are currently expensive, reproduction reduces cost and each copy could become very cheap in comparison. By making the vessel cheaper, the overall budget can be impacted minimally in this way. Our amphibious paradigm is also advanced well beyond anyone else. Still, paying for this at all times is a drag on the economy that would support any effort should it be needed. Ammo should be less too and that BTW is advanced to the point we DO NOT NEED NUKES. The misses and torpedoes today are explosive enouph that it’s far more effective to deploy them precisely and eliminate all the threats with less costly and more total explosiveness, current systems can do this at sea and air and on land extremely fast.

You do realize that Russia and China have worked on countering that plane,right.Not to mention as reports show it is a danger to itself (the pilots).So they might not have to counter them too much.They could destroy themselves.

Thanks so much for your input – you are like a one-man search-engine!!

If you have both the time and interest (so much going on) could you give your take on the viability of a Kurdish state made up from Iraqi, Turkish and Syrian elements? Or just some?

If A-Z believe they can control them (though not the Marxist PKK) will they not try and market ‘The Kurds’ as a people/ethnic group requiring support to form a nation (which will conveniently include oil territory).

I get the impression female Kurd militia are being marketed to get sympathy this way. And I have also read reports of teenagers even children being proseletized for Kurd unity.

I still see the Syrian Kurds as being problematic to this ‘herding’: there is now considerable social ‘cachet’ attached to being Syrian. Syrians are getting sympathy like the Palestinians. Plus, they are included in Syrian civilizational ‘prestige’ by virtue of their Syrian identity. Would they give that up to be exclusively Kurds? I am not seeing it.

At the same time, excluding them from a national project harms its ‘ethnic’ rationale. Making the A-Z plan a much harder sell. (Of course, they can always be labelled ‘terrorists’ afterwards..)

My earlier comment did not appear. To repeat: There were repeated announcements in June and July that there wd be a two-month gap in carrier coverage of the Gulf. Plus the imminent departure of the Roosevelt was again made on 10/5; I think the day before the Russian missles, no?

Interesting, I’d just seen the headline before. The news that the CV left the Persian Gulf didn’t shock me. If anything, I’d think its something smart to do before any shooting starts. About the strategic equivalent of someone having enough sense to pull the battleships back from Pearl Harbor before somebody sinks them before the shooting starts in WWII. The Persian Gulf was always a really stupid place to put an aircraft carrier. But, I’m surprised that its moved further away than just outside the Gulf where it could still cover its area with airplanes. Wonder what its doing way over there? Is the US about to go to war with Bangladesh?????

For the first time in over a generation, America has no carriers near the middle east. And why is that? Brother Russia has things under control. Russia has the contract. That is why Israel is so passive, right? So usually they quarrel, but sometimes they work together. America realized long ago they made a mistake in creating ISIS, but there was no way out, without offending powerful allies in the region. Solution? Let the Russians take care of it. A different point, watching the Russians bomb the ISIS fanatics, it is just great seeing those Christian bombs killing the Muslim crazies.

“The current carrier in the gulf region, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, is scheduled to leave sometime in October. The replacement carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman, is not scheduled to arrive until sometime in the winter.”

So the coincidence with the nice message from the Kremlin seems accidental.

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